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>Felix Guattari, "Molecular Revolution" (excerpts)
>Begins with English Summary by CharlesDocument
>Something like a discussion
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>Felix Guattari, "Molecular Revolution" (excerpts)
>Begins with English Summary by Charles
Document
>Delacroix's Journals (excerpts)
>Begins with English Summary by CharlesDocument
>Simone Forti (Excerpts)
Transcript
>Session 3, CharlesTranscript
On Texts by Felix Guattari
>Session 1, All members
published in "soft subversions"“Molee is representative of a certain conception of the artist, which is not otistic, in dealing solely with the nature/essence of reality, our perception of it (Simone Forti), neither is he acknowledging and expressing the “suffering of the world” (maybe as a form of resistance to the laws of nature..), but renouncing to act directly upon this suffering,(Delacroix). This artist has abandoned attacking directly the “macro” suffering, fascisms, but rather attacks, unveils the power relations that lead to them (personal,
institutional,…). He assumes a humble, and humbling role, as he only is capable of acting on a range (which he defines and accepts) of molecular revolutions, and at the same time he feels empowered (in an almost pretentious manner), in that he thinks that he can change something, which collectively adding up will change the world, acting on macro fascisms.
is the transcript of his address at a conference at Columbia University, in 1975. A couple of extracts:
For some years now we have been experiencing a process comparable to that of 1929, a full range of regional conflicts, of local political confrontations, of economic crises. I do believe that a whole series of factors are leading to an absolute crisis at all levels of social organization throughout the world. This situation would call for revolutionary solutions, but no one, no organization is prepared to deal with it and its imperatives.
Indeed a revolution of great amplitude is developing today, but at a molecular or microscopic level.
I believe that this molecular revolution can only develop in a parallel way with the general political crisis. Some people say that the social turmoil in the United States during the 60s, or in France in 68’ was a spontaneist event-transitory, marginal-and that such utopian revolution leads nowhere. But in my opinion, important things began happening only after that revolution, witch perhaps was the last revolution in the old style.
The main question for me is a radical change of attitude with regard to political problems. On the one hand there are “serious” things one sees in the papers, on television-the questions of power in the parties, the unions, the groupuscules; on the other hand, there are little things, the things of private life: the militant’s wife who stays at home to look after the children; the pretty bureaucrat making deals in the corridors of Congress - they are the root of most political schisms and a programmatic aspect, but are invariably linked to the phenomena of bureaucratic investment and the special cast that runs these organizations.
The problem is this: one can not strive toward a political objective without identifying as well all the microfacisms, all the modes of semiotic subjugation of power that reproduce themselves through that struggle, and no myth of a return to spontaneity or to nature will change anything.
(The microfashisms) It can only be dealt with a new type of arrangement of enunciation. One example of these arrangements of enunciation-an impossible, truly awful arrangement from the vantage point of the arrangements of desire-is that of this room itself, with some individual raised above everyone else, with a prepared discussion witch would make it impossible for any one really to start a discussion.
To the extent that one fights microfashisms at a microscopic level, one can also prevent it from happening at the level of large political groups. If one believes that each one of us is imunized against microfacist contamination, against semiotic contamination by capitalism, then we can surely expect to see unbridled forms of macrofacism well up.Entering the post media era, an extract: Analysis again. But where? How? Well, everywhere possible. Where unskirtable contradictions come to the surface. Where disturbing breaches of meaning trip us up admits daily banalities, impossible yet perfectly viable loves, all kind off constructivist passions that mine the edifices of morbid rationality…It can be individual, (for those who tend…), dual in all possible ways (…). multiple through group, network, institutional, and collective practices, and finally micro political by virtue of other social practices, other forms of auto valorisation and militant actions, leading through a systematic decentring of social desire, to soft subversions and imperceptible revolutions that will
eventually change the face of the world, making it happier. Let’s face it, it is long overdue.